History Series / PoliceCameraAction

The show was initially produced by Carlton Television, but Optomen now hold international production and distribution rights, plus the UsefulNotes/{{Copyright}} to the show.

The series has MissingEpisodes, but not in the way ''Series/DoctorWho'' has them, instead rather rarely-broadcast ones. There are a lot of episodes that don't get broadcast. (See the section below). When they '''do''' air them, the episodes are usually cut for timing reasons, or to make room for commercials, and rarely, if ever broadcast in their original form. Only a select few do get aired uncut. Some episodes have footage replaced due to clearance issues concerning the police forces who supply them - obtaining the footage [[CrackIsCheaper is expensive]], and legally it can't be shown for entertainment purposes (which is why the show needs to have AnAesop [[StrictlyFormula every]] episode, [[{{Anvilicious}} because this show is a semi-educational show, not an entertainment one]]).

** A more [[DownplayedTrope downplayed]] example occurred in the episode "Crime Cars", which showed a group of thieves in Kansas attempting a heist on an ATM at a gas station - but at StupidCrooks levels, unlike the above example.

* LaterInstallmentWeirdness: The 1997 episode "On Your Bike" was the only episode that CutToBlack in-between presenter links, and two episodes covered topics not related to policing.

** The 1998 episode "The Wild Side" was about this trope for the first half until the episode's Halfway Plot Switch and it featured two clips of swans on the M25; one from Monday 9 June 1996 where a driver near Staines, Surrey on the M25, in a Ford Granada sedan stops to let a swan pass and the cop take the swan in a blanket, and one from 7 November 1995 set to R Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly."

!Missing Episodes
Well, technically, not so much missing episodes in the way ''Series/DoctorWho'' has them, but rather rarely-broadcast ones. There are a lot of episodes that don't get broadcast. (See the section below). When they '''do''' air them, the episodes are usually cut for timing reasons, or to make room for commercials, and rarely, if ever broadcast in their original form. Only a select few do get aired uncut. Some episodes have footage replaced due to clearance issues concerning the police forces who supply them - obtaining the footage [[CrackIsCheaper is expensive]], and legally it can't be shown for entertainment purposes (which is why the show needs to have AnAesop [[StrictlyFormula every]] episode, [[{{Anvilicious}} because this show is a semi-educational show, not an entertainment one]]).

** Season 6 episode "The Unprotected" takes place ''before'' Rust Buckets and Captured.

* ImpossibleTask: [[http://www.ukemergency.co.uk/the-liver-run/ ''The Liver Run.'']] [[EscortMission Two Metropolitan Police Units must travel 29 miles in 35 minutes]], thru heavy London traffic (in 1987) to deliver a liver to a hospital for transplanting. If they fail to reach the hospital in time, [[GameOver they are told to abort the run.]] [[spoiler:They make it with 5 minutes to spare, [[HappyEnding and the recipient of the liver survives the operation]].]]

* SurrealThemeTune: The theme tune is a mix-up of various police commentaries. Not to mention the line "He's crashed, he's crashed at Junction 23!" at the end.

* ReCut: From 2006 onwards, some of the old 1994-1998 episodes were edited due to rights issues, mixing this trope with ScrewedByTheLawyers. There's two versions of most episodes, except for the episodes "International" (1995), "Speed" (1998) and "Round the Bend" (2000).

* AnachronicOrder: Season 1 in 1995 actually is out of order in terms of timeline; "Tales of the Unexpected" happens first. Season 4 in 1997 and Season 5 in 1998 are told completely out of order; the production order was the intended order. Season 6 also has this with "The Unprotected" coming ''after'' "Captured" (a date stamp on CCTV on-screen, shows this; the Unprotected was 12 July 1998, Captured 25 July 1998).

''Police Camera Action!'' is an Creator/{{ITV}} GenreBusting RealityTV {{Documentary}} series that started airing in November 1994 and continues to the present day. The show depicts police video footage of bad driving and road crime. Originally hosted by Alastair Stewart, Adrian Simpson became co-presenter in 2008, and Gethin Jones presented a special episode in 2008, before doing four {{Very Special Episode}}s in 2011.

Although (it is believed) ITV have no plans to release this on DVD, the show exists on torrent sites, leading to a mass influx of the web version of KeepCirculatingTheTapes. Releasing it on DVD would stop this trade, and give fans a legal outlet for acquiring it. However, it would have to be a BoxedSet [[{{Fandom}} for obvious reasons]] - they did this with other series.

Getting music rights clearance for DVD is possibly an issue (but other shows have managed to get the music intact on their DVD releases) and police footage clearance as well. However, the 2007 series is made up of a lot of British footage, so that argument is somewhat unclear.

There '''is''' an argument, however, for releasing this on DVD; given the success of ''Series/{{CSI}}'', ''Series/{{NCIS}}'', ''Series/TheWire'' on DVD, there is possibly enough Fandom for this to be released.

* AndKnowingIsHalfTheBattle: From 2007, Alastair Stewart, and in the 2008 drink-driving {{Very Special Episode}}, there is always be some discussion of the moral of the episode.
* BottleEpisode: This show liked to use this trope a lot, not just as a cost-saving measure, mixed with ClipShow.

* TheCameo: The (sadly missed) Robbie Burns makes an appearance.
* ClipShow: Seen in ''Crash Test Racers'', ''Highway of Tomorrow'', ''Ultimate Pursuits'' and ''Britain's Most Dangerous Roads'', ''Ultimate Bad Drivers'', ''Ultimate Boy Racers'', ''Ultimate Car Crimes'' and ''Car Tech Maniacs''.
* {{Docusoap}}: In the 2007 and 2008 series, where they went out 'on patrol' with the Greater Manchester, Devon and Cornwall, Gloucestershire, Cambridgeshire, City of London, Sussex, South Yorkshire and Thames Valley police.
* DrunkDriver: In the 2002 episode ''Under the Influence'' and 2007 episode ''Bad Influences''.
* FollowTheLeader: Encouraged ''The World's Wildest Police Videos'' with Sheriff John Bunnell in 1997 as a sort of [[DuelingWorks competitor]].
* GreenAesop: The 2007 episode ''Eco Unfriendly'' is basically this with a police documentary twist to it.

* LongRunner: The show has been around for 26 years now, which is a long time for a documentary show. Panorama and Dispatches are longer-running than this show.

* RailroadTracksOfDoom: Used in a 1996 episode entitled ''Driven to Distraction'' when they were showing footage of drivers racing across railway tracks.

* RunForTheBorder: [[spoiler: The 1997 series episode ''The Wild Side'' and the 2000 series episode ''Getting Their Man'']]. Do not scroll over if you don't want to know what episodes.
* ScareEmStraight: Well, from watching the episodes ''Rogue's Roadshow'', ''Too Close to Comfort'', ''Life in the Fast Lane'', ''Nicked!'' and ''Under Surveillance'', it would appear that could be the intention.
* SomethingCompletelyDifferent: This trope is used several times:
** The 1995 episode ''Helicops'' (which had '''no in-car camera footage''').
** The 1996 episodes ''The Man Who Shot OJ'' was totally helicopter-based, featured {{Talking Head|s}} interviews and was mainly ADayInTheLimelight for Bob Tur (although Alastair remained as presenter, he was OutOfFocus and DemotedToExtra for this two-parter).
** The 2007 episode ''Search and Rescue'' (virtually no car chases, apart from one set in Texas in the beginning)
** The 2007 episode ''Under Surveillance'' ([[Series/BigBrother Big Brother in real life]] with closed-circuit television.) was set in Salford and Brighton, and only had '''one''' police in-car camera clip.

* TheTag: PlayedForLaughs (in the "classic" season) and referred to as "And finally..." on every episode 1995-2002 except for VerySpecialEpisode ''The Liver Run''. Does not appear from 2007 onwards when the show was UnCancelled. The most famous one features a drunken cyclist and the single "Leader Of The Pack" by Music/TheShangriLas.
* UnlimitedWardrobe: The show's presenters, Alastair Stewart, Adrian Simpson and Gethin Jones seem to have an almost unlimited wardrobe of suits similar to ''Series/DoctorWho'' 's Tenth Doctor.
* UnspokenPlanGuarantee: Sometimes occurs in this show, but not to the level of dramas such as ''Series/{{Hustle}}''.

* VerySpecialEpisode: Used frequently, making this an UndeadHorseTrope, however, the episodes are '''NOT''' advertised as such.
** First of all, in 1997 with the episode ''Don't Look Back In Anger'', then the 1998 episode ''Learning the Hard Way''.
** Then, in 2000, the episodes ''Crash Test Racers'' and ''Highway of Tomorrow''.
** Also, in 2008, the episodes ''Britain's Most Dangerous Roads'' (which was StockFootage, Narm and WholeEpisodeFlashback in one), ''Ultimate Bad Drivers'', ''Ultimate Car Crimes'', ''Ultimate Boy Racers'' and ''Car Tech Maniacs''
** The {{Drunk Driv|er}}ing special in late 2008 with Gethin Jones, TheOtherDarrin of the show.
** The new 2010 series change the format significantly enough that every episode of the new series could be considered a VerySpecialEpisode in itself. (Well, if the description on Digiguide is anything to go by).
* VoiceoverClipShow: Averted because there are actual presenter links between footage.

** Series 3 (1999-2000) had 27 episodes (but maybe 30 if you count the edited versions of the {{Special Episode}}s ''Crash Test Racers'' and "Highway of Tomorrow".

** The 1996 episodes ''The Man Who Shot OJ'' was totally helicopter-based, featured TalkingHead interviews and was mainly ADayInTheLimelight for Bob Tur (although Alastair remained as presenter, he was OutOfFocus and DemotedToExtra for this two-parter).

* TheTag: PlayedForLaughs (in the "classic" season) and referred to as "And finally..." on every episode 1995-2002 except for VerySpecialEpisode ''The Liver Run''. Does not appear from 2007 onwards when the show was UnCancelled. The most famous one features a drunken cyclist and the single "Leader Of The Pack" by TheShangriLas.

** The {{Drink Driving}} special in late 2008 with Gethin Jones, TheOtherDarrin of the show.

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** This show has made the trope no longer a DiscreditedTrope or a DeadHorseTrope.

** The 1994 series had two episodes (or four if you count the {{Edited For Syndication}} episodes.

''Police Camera Action!'' is an Creator/{{ITV}} documentary series that started airing in November 1994 and continues to the present day. The show depicts police video footage of bad driving and road crime. Originally hosted by Alastair Stewart, Adrian Simpson became co-presenter in 2008, and Gethin Jones presented a special episode in 2008, before doing four {{Very Special Episode}}s in 2011.

* AnAesop: This is rather more of an EnforcedTrope for the show.

%%* BigDisasterPlot: 2007 episode ''Search and Rescue''.

* ClipShow: Seen in ''Crash Test Racers'', ''Highway of Tomorrow'', ''Ultimate Pursuits'' and ''Britain's Most Dangerous Roads'', ''Ultimate Bad Drivers'', ''Ultimate Boy Racers'', ''Ultimate Car Crimes'' and ''Car Tech Maniacs''. Possibly the new 2010 series as well (mentioned at beonscreen.com).
** Subverted by ''Don't Look Back In Anger'' and ''Learning The Hard Way'' which mix ''new'' footage (for those episodes) with footage from the past three series (back in 1997 and 1999).
* DeconstructorFleet: Of the RealityShow genre.

* LongRunner: The show has been around for 22 years now, which is a long time for a documentary show. Panorama and Dispatches are longer-running than this show.
* PimpedOutCar: The 2007 episode ''Street Illegal'' and then 2008 episode ''Ultimate Boy Racers''. Yes, really. Some of the cars were taken UpToEleven.
* RailroadTracksOfDoom: Used in a 1996 episode entitled ''Driven to Distraction'' when they were showing footage of drivers racing across railway tacks.

** The 1997 episode ''Don't Look Back in Anger'' (a sort of VerySpecialEpisode and a subverted ClipShow).
** The 2007 episode ''Search and Rescue'' (virtually no car chases, apart from one set in Texas)
** The 2007 episode ''Under Surveillance'' ([[Series/BigBrother Big Brother in real life]] with closed-circuit television.)
** More recently, AP Archive and Conus Archive supply this.

* {{Stripperific}}: The 2002 episode ''Diversion Ahead!'', if the "And finally" sequence is anything to go by.

* Voiceover ClipShow: Subverted, in the fact there are actual links between footage.
* {{Watershed}}: Sometimes airs after the British watershed.
* XanatosSpeedChess

* TrainwreckEpisode: 2007 episode ''Search and Rescue''.